A part of General Willcox's command had had some severe skirmishing with the enemy, while the remainder of his division was held in reserve. He was finally ordered to attack with this whole force immediately on the left of General Crittenden. A considerable delay occurred here in arranging the troops for the attack, and in so posting the artillery as to render it efficient and at the same time protect it from the charges of the enemy in case of a repulse to General Willcox. The dispositions of the artillery, and General Willcox ordered his troops to the attack. He had before this reported that he thought an attack would be made by the enemy with a view to ruining his left, which was now the extreme left of the army engaged; the Provisional Brigade, Colonel Marshall, being in the trenches immediately in front of the Court-House. the necessity for an attack, with a view to arranging the attention of the enemy from other parts of the line, if nothing more, caused a reiteration of the order to General Willcox to advance as soon as possible with his whole force, which order was executed under a most terrific fire and counter-charges of the enemy. Some of our artillery was disabled by the loss of cannoneers, and our infantry line was somewhat disorganized. At one time the enemy was within 10 paces of one of our batteries, but the guns were remained and worked by some infantry soldiers supporting the battery, thus checking the advance of the enemy, who were finally repulsed whit severe loss, other batteries having concentrated their fire upon them as they retreated. The dense woods through which a portion of our troops had charged was the scene of a most fearful conflict. Our men held the advance ground gained in the face of heavy forces of the enemy in front and on their flanks, and for a long time the contest was very doubtful. After the exhaustion of ammunition, the line was withdrawn to the edge of the woods and intrenched. Our artillery during the entire engagement did most excellent service, but we had the misfortune to lose the services of our chief of artillery, Lieutenant S. N. Benjamin, who was severely wounded in the neck in the hottest of the fight, but he remained on the filed discharging his duties until the critical moment had passed. The divisions of Generals Crittenden and Potter pressed closely up to the enemy's lone under a most galling fire, and finally General Potter succeeded in establishing a connection with General Hancock. Heavy artillery firing and dismounted cavalry, which remained in the old entrenchments in front of the Court-House, effectually prevented any movement of the enemy upon the bridge or fords to our left. During this engagement, and for some days previous, the Seventeenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and a squadron of the Second Ohio, performed valuable service, scouting and picketing the country on our left. Before morning of the 13th the new line was well intrenched. Of the Provisional Brigade we have no report, Colonel Marshall being a prisoner.

The officers and men of the command behaved most gallantly in the action. Sharp skirmishing and considerable artillery firing was kept up along the line on the 13th, 14th, and 15th.

On the 16th a reconnaissance by the First and Second Divisions was ordered, which resulted in developing quite a large force of the enemy in our front. No change of importance occurred on the 17th.

On the morning of the 18th a general attack was made on the enemy's lone, and after two or three charges by the divisions of Gen-